Weighing-scale.



PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

J. LORBNTZEN.

WEIGHING SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED 19313.15, 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

Witnesses Inventor,

PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

J. LORENTZBN.

WEIGHING SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED r212. 15. 1905.

2 SHEETS-$83111 2.

Witnesses "UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

JOHN LORENTZEN, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

WElGHlNG-SCALE.

Original application filed October 13, 1904:, Serial No. 228,338. Divided and this application filed February 15, 1905,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Serial To all. whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LORENTZEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Weighing-Scale, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to weighing-scales, and has for its principal object to provide a novel form of spring-scale in which movement of the platform-levers is transformed into rotative movement of an indicator through the medium of a helical cam.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of platform-scale in which the arrangement of the platform-levers is greatly simplified and permits of the assemblement of the parts at a minimum exense.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully'hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a weighingscale constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the view being on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the apparatus on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the mechanism on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the mechanism for clutching the operating-shaft and indicating means. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a coin-actuated cam-slide which may form a part of the machine. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the machine on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2, the view being on an enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the horizontal frictional disk.

Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view of a portion of the machine on the line 9 9 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout'the several figures of the drawmgs.

The present application is a division of an application for Letters Patent for coincontrolled scale, filed October 13, 1904, under Serial No. 228,338.

The framework of the scale is of simple character and comprises a base 10, an upper casing 11, and a standard 12, the latter being preferably formed of a metallic tube and serving as a receptacle for the coins or tokens deposited in the machine.

Secured to or formed integral with the base are a number of brackets 13 14, the brackets 13 serving as fulcrums for a U-shaped platform-lever 15 and the bracket 14 serving as a fulcrum for a U-shaped platform-lever 16, the latter being of considerably less width than the lever 15 and the two being so arranged that the open ends of the levers are adjacent to each other and extend beyond the median transverse line of the platform 16, on which the person or object to be weighed is placed. The base is further provided with a transversely-extending knifeedge 17, on which is pivoted a lever 18, carrying at one end a knife-edge 19, on which both of the platform-levers rest. The oppo site end of the lever 18 is bifurcated for the reception of the lower end of a verticallymovable rod 20. The under surface of the platform is provided with a pair of transversely-extending V-shaped ribs 21, which bear on the platform-levers at a point intermediate of the ends of the latter, and at opposite sides of the platform are pendent lugs 22, having threaded openings for the passage of bolts 23, which when screwed in position project under edge flanges formed at the opposite sides of the base in order to prevent the removal of the platform. The flanges form continuations of the edge flange shown at the front of the base 10 in Fig. 1.

The vertically movable bar 20 extends through a guiding-opening formed in the bottom of the money-receptacle, and around the lower portion of the bar is a helical compression-spring 26, the lower end of which is pressed against a nut 27, adapted to a threaded portion of the bar, the nut serving as a convenient means for adjusting the stress of the spring in order that the scale may be made to weigh accurately. The lower portion of the bar is provided with an opening for the passage of a pin 28, that bears on the bifurcated end of the lever, and rotative movement of said bar is prevented by a pair of washers 29, that are placed on the pin between the sides of the bar and the lever 18.

Secured in the upper casing 11 is a bushing 33, within which is arranged a sleeve 34, provided with a helical cam groove 35, and while the sleeve is free to revolve any vertical movement is prevented by a number of pins 35, carried by the sleeve and projecting into horizontally-disposed grooves 37, formed in the inner face of the bushing 33. The bar 20 is free to slide within the sleeve 34, and to the upper portion of said bar is secured a pin 38, that projects within the helical groove 35, and when the bar is moved upward by the placing of a weight on the scale-platform this pin will traverse the groove and will force the sleeve to rotate in one direction, and when the weight is removed the compression-spring 26 will restore the bar to initial position, and the pin 38 in traversing the cam-groove will cause the sleeve to travel in the reverse direction. Secured to the upper end of the sleeve 34 is a beveled friction-wheel 39, which engages a similar friction-wheel 40, and from the latter the movement is transmitted to the indicating devices.

In the upper casing 11 is secured a transversely-extending bar 42, in which is formed a bearing for a longitudinally-movable clutchsleeve 43, and saidsleeve has at one end an opening for the reception of the end of a shaft 44, that is slotted for the passage of a pin 45, by which the sleeve and shaft are coupled together for mutual rotative but independent longitudinal movement. The opposite end of the shaft 44 extends within a bearingopening formed in the casing, and on said shaft is mounted the bevel friction-wheel 40. The hub of the friction-wheel is slotted for the passage of a pin 47, that extends through the shaft, so that while said wheel is compelled to rotate with the shaft it may be free for longitudinal movement. This wheel is forced into frictional engagement with the frictionwheel 39 by means of a helical compressionspring 49.

The front of the casing 11 is provided with an annular flange 50, and to this flange is bolted an annular frame 51, carrying a glass panel 52. To the flange is secured a dialplate 53, that is graduated and provided with the usual indicating-marks. At the center of the dial-plate and in alinement with the lon gitudinal axis of the shaft 44 is a bearing for the support of a revoluble block 54, to the outer end of which is secured a pointer 55, adapted to travel over the graduated dial.

The inner face of the block is provided with a non-circular projecting pin 56, adapted to a similar-shaped opening 57, formed in. the outer end of the clutch-sleeve 43; but normally these parts are separated, so that any weight placed on the platform, while effecting revoluble movement of the friction-wheels and shaft, will not result in any movement of the hand or pointer, and it is only after the deposit of a coin, check, or other similar token of a predetermined character that the two parts are coupled together in such manner as to transmit movement from the plat form to the hand or pointer. Normally the parts are held separated by a U shaped spring 59, extending around a groove formed in the peripheryof the clutching-sleeve 43, the ends of the spring being bolted to the crossbar 42.

The outer face of the erossbar 42 is grooved for the reception and support of a coin-actuated slide 60, that is provided with a longitudinal slot 61 for the passage of the clutchsleeve 43, and the inner enlarged head of this sleeve bears against the outer face of the slide. The outer face of the slide is disposed at an oblique angle to the plane of the crossbar and forms a wedge or slidable cam which when moved in the proper direction will force the clutching-sleeve outward until the projecting pin 56 is entered in the recess 57, and the two parts are thus clutched together.

Near one side of the casing is arranged a rectangular tube 62, the upper end of which is guided by the walls of an opening formed in the upper part of the casing, while the lower portion of said tube is secured to the cross-bar, and said tube is slotted for the passage of the coin-actuated slide 60. the tube is a vertically-movable push-bar 63, normally held elevated by a spring 64.. The upper end of this bar projects above the top of the casing and is provided with an enlarged head 65, which is depressed by the operator after the insertion of the coin. The bar also forms a coin-slot, said bar being hollow to permit the passage of a coin therethrough, and near the upper end of the bar is an opening 66, through which the coin may be inserted. Each inserted coin falls to the position shown in Fig. 2 and rests between an inclined shoulder 67, formed near one end of Within the slide 60, and a finger 68, depending from one end of the push-bar 63. The slide is slotted to form a passage for the coin, one wall of the slide being inclined, as previously described, and the opposite wall 69 being ver tical, the distance between the lower portions of the two walls being suflicient to permit the ready passage of a coin. To the lower end of the tube 62 is secured a coin-chute 70, that terminates at the top of the tube 12, and after each depression of the push-bar 63 the coin inserted will be freed and will drop down through the chute into the money-recep tacle formed by the tube 12.

In order to restore "the slide to initial position after each operation, a spring-lever 72 is ivoted to a lug depending from the cross-b ar, and the lower end of the lever is provided witha lug 7 3, that projects into the path of a shoulder 74, formed on the friction-wheel 39. The upper end of the lever is curved to pass partly around the shaft 44 and is connected by a link to the slide.

In operating the device a coin is first inserted in the opening 66 and falls to a point between the inclined wall 67 and the finger 68. As soon as the coin leaves the end of the opening in the push-bar it will tilt slightly to one side or the other, so that when the pushbar is depressed there will be no danger of the coin reentering the slot. The push-bar is then-depressed, and downward movement is transmitted through the coin to the inclined wall 67, the latter acting as a cam and cansing longitudinal movement of the slide. The inclined face of the slide bears against the head of the clutching-sleeve 43 and presses said sleeve forward and effects the entrance of the pin 56 in the recess 57, thus coupling the shaft 44 to the pointer-carrying block 54. Any person stepping on the platform will cause upward movement of the bar 20, and this movement will be transmitted to the pin 28 and the sleeve 34 to friction-wheel 39, the latter rotating friction-wheel 40 and shaft 44, so that the hand or pointer will be turned to an extent determined by the weight. During the rotative movement of the friction-wheel 39 the shoulder 7 of the latter will be moved away from the lug 73 of lever 72, and the latter will be moved to an oblique position by the slide. hen the weight is removed from the platform, the direction of rotation of the friction-wheels is reversed, and the shoulder 74 will then engage the lug 73 and move the lever and the coin-actuated slide back to an initial position. The downward movement of the push-bar necessary to effect proper movement of the slide must be to an extent sufficient to effect the discharge of the coin through the chute 70, and if the operator does not force the push-bar down to this extent the clutchsleeve will not be connected to the block 54, and hence no movement of the indicator will occur. After a person has stepped on the platform and has started movement of the friction-wheels the downward movement of the push-bar will be relieved and the latter will be restored to its initial position; but

the slide will remain in the position to which it has been adjusted and the parts are properly clutched together to permit movement of the indicator, and it is not until the weight is removed from the platform and the direction of rotative movement of the frictionwheel is reversed that the slide is restored to its initial position. The coins pass through the chute to the hollow standard, the latter forming a coin-receiver. At or near the lower end of the standard is an opening 82, through which the coins may be withdrawn, and in the wall of said opening is a projecting pm 83, with which may engage a slot 84, formed in a removable gate 85. This gate is in the form of a plug that may be slid in position and then turned until the pin is engaged in the slot, so that endwise removal of the plug is impossible until the gate is again turned in the reverse direction. The gate carries a lock 87, by which the gate is held normally from rotative movement.

Having thus described is claimed is 1. In a weighing-scale, a platform, a shaft, an indicating means operable by the shaft, a revoluble friction-disk, means for transmitting movement from the platform to said disk, a second disk carried by said shaft, and a spring acting on said second disk and tending to force the same into engagement with the first disk.

2. In a weighing-scale, a platform, an endwise-movable bar to which the platform is connected, a pin or lug projecting from the bar, a helically-grooved cam-sleeve mounted on said bar and into which said pin or lug extends, means for preventing longitudinal movement of the cam-sleeve, a friction-disk secured to the sleeve, a shaft, and a second disk carried by the shaft and engaging the first disk.

3. The combination in a weighing-scale, of a movable platform, a vertically-movable bar connected to the platform, a pin or lug projecting from the bar, a hollow sleeve encircling the bar and provided with a cam-slot into which said pin or lug extends, an internally-grooved bushing, a pin projecting from the sleeve and entering said groove, africtiondisk secured to the sleeve, a shaft, indicating mechanism, means for connecting the indicating mechanism and the shaft, and a second friction-disk carried by the shaft and engaging said first friction-disk.

4. The combination in a weighingscale, of a base, Ushaped platform-levers pivotally supported by their cross-bars, a platform resting on the levers, a knife-edge on which the free ends of the levers are supported, a lever carrying a knife-edge, a knife-edge on which the lever is pivoted, an indicating means, and means for connecting the lever and indicating means.

5. In a weighing-scale, the combination with a base, of a pair of U-shaped platformlevers, supports on which the cross-bars of said levers are pivoted, the free ends of one lethe invention, what ver being Within the lines of the free ends of In testimony that I claim the foregoing as the other lever, a knife-edge on which the free my own I have hereto afhxed my signature ends 01' both levers rest, a lever carrying the in the presence of two wltnesses.

knife-edge, a knife-edge on which the lever is JOHN LORENT ZEN. 5 plvoted, an indicating means, and means for Htnesses:

connecting the lever and the lnclleatlng FRED A. GRASS means. DUNCAN MONEE. 

